The Instructor
by divergent-DE
Summary: You've heard one side of the story, but is one side always enough? Discover Divergent from inside Four's head.


I wake to the sound of my alarm coming from my nightstand. I let out a sigh and sit up slowly, leaning my hand over to turn it off. The silence stops and I feel a slight ache as I stand from the bed.

My muscles are still sore from training with Zeke yesterday but it's a familiar feeling and I hardly notice it as I cross my small apartment and open the door to my bathroom. I step into the shower a moment later and let the warm water run over my body.

Normally by now I'd be in the control room, observing the screens and watching as the Dauntless members run and leap around the compound. But today is the Choosing Ceremony and instead, I'll be training the transfer initiates. I liked training the initiates last year but this year is more bittersweet.

I know that this will be my last year training initiates because after they become Dauntless members, I'll be leaving. I'm not excited to be Factionless but I can no longer pretend to be something I'm not. And I am not Dauntless. I have tattoos. I can throw a knife and I can shut a gun. But none of those things make me Dauntless.

I chose Dauntless out of necessity because it was my only escape from Marcus. I loved it at first. The freedom, the thrills, the carefree attitude. But it was when I became an official member that I no longer felt Dauntless at all. The Dauntless are strong, they are honorable and they conquer in the face of cowardice but most importantly, they are brave.

My choice to leave Abnegation was cowardice, not bravery. It is because of this revelation that I realized I do not belong here. Not amongst people who put the values of this faction above everything else. I am not Dauntless, I am Abnegation. I always have been.

I turn off the water and dry myself with a towel as I wipe the fog off of the small mirror above my sink. I am not surprised to see the stern look on my face, it looks that way most of the time. I turn and leave the bathroom with the towel tied around my hip.

Water drips from my damp hair and down my shoulder as I walk to the closet beside my bed. I pull a black t shirt and an old pair of black jeans off of their hangars before throwing them on carelessly. I slide on some shoes and make my way out the front door towards the cafeteria.

I am surprised at how quiet The Dauntless compound is until I remember that most people have already left for the choosing ceremony. My boots slap against the cold stone floors and the sound echoes against the walls of the Pit. The chasm on my left roars as water sprays up by the railing.

The cafeteria is mostly empty except for a few people I don't recognize sitting in the back corner. I grab a tray and pile on some food before sitting down at one of the tables near the entrance.

I look down at my watch to see that it's just after 11 which means that the trains full of initiates will be here in twenty minutes.

I remember my own choosing ceremony two years earlier. I stood in line calmly though I was still unsure of what faction would be my new home. I remember that I was not nervous as I walked up to the bowls, I was relieved. Relieved that my abusive childhood would now be in my past and that I would no longer have to go through the pain.

I looked up at my father in the first row and then cut my hand with the knife, wincing slightly as I realized that I'd cut too deep. But before I can think about the pain any longer, I moved my hand out from my body and let my blood sizzle on the coals. My face stayed blank until I saw the stunned look on his face; and then I smiled. I was free.

"Four"

My head snaps sharply over to Zeke who is putting his tray down across from mine. He sits down in his seat and smirks over at me.

"You alright?"

I clear my throat and rip off a piece of my muffin.

"I'm fine''

I look up at the sound of laughter and see Lauren and Shauna walking through the doors.

"Have you talked to Lauren?" Zeke asks.

I shake my head, "not recently"

He grins over at me as he swallows his food.

"You know she likes you right?"

He wiggles his eyebrows and I can't stop the quiet laugh that rumbles through my chest.

"Actually I didn't. But thanks for the heads up"

I look up to see Shauna carrying her plate over and I can't help but smirk when she sits down next to Zeke. I may not be able to tell that a girl is into me but apparently neither can Zeke.

"You ready to train some newbies?" Shauna asks as she rips off a piece of bagel with her teeth.

"Yea, I should probably head over to the net soon"

Lauren walks over to us with a bagel in her hand and stands between me and Zeke.

"I'll walk with you. Who do you think will be the first jumper?" she asks.

"I say a Candor, they're almost always the first jumpers" Shauna says.

"No way!" yells Zeke. "It'll definitely be a Dauntless, hopefully Uriah if he doesn't wuss out"

Lauren sighs and crosses her arms, "I'm gonna say Erudite"

Zeke laughs and leans back in his chair.

"You know, even with all the piercings I can tell you're still a Nose"

"Oh shut up" Lauren whines as she reaches over and smacks Zeke.

I look down at my tray and realize that I still haven't eaten anything. I grab the muffin and stand from my seat.

"You ready to go?" I ask, looking over at Lauren.

She nods and the two of us walk out of the cafeteria. I break off pieces of muffin and plop them into my mouth as we walk to the other side of the Dauntless compounds.

As the two of us approach the familiar net, Max's voice becomes louder. I look up through the hole in the ceiling and watch as he teeters along the edge. I can recall him doing the exact same thing two years ago when I had to jump off that ledge.

I look around me for familiar faces but the only person I know is Lauren. I draw my attention back up to the ledge where someone is standing; but it's not Max, the clothes are too light.

The body jumps and soars through the air before hitting the net. Several of us stick our hands through the net but I am surprised when a small hand slips into mine. She almost falls as she rolls out of the net but I catch her arm and hold her up.

"Thank you" she says softly before standing up on her own.

She is small, frail and not particularly pretty but her eyes were strong, focused and if they weren't on her tiny frame, I might even say they were intimidating. But more surprisingly, she is Abnegation. I search my mind for her identity but I don't know who she is.

"Can't believe it" says Lauren. "A Stiff, the first to jump? It's unheard of"

I haven't been in Abnegation for two years but the term Stiff still hits home.

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren"

I say it sharper than I intend too but I don't think too much of it. I look back over at the Abnegation girl in front of me.

"What's your name?" She hesitates and I feel my lips turn to a faint smile. "Think about it. You don't get to pick again"

"Tris" she says firmly.

"Tris" Lauren repeats as if she's testing out the name. "Make the announcement, Four"

I look over my shoulder at the crowd who has developed around us.

"First jumper-Tris!"

I look back to the girl-Tris-who is now watching as someone else falls into the net. I reach out and touch her back before whispering in her ear.

"Welcome to Dauntless"

I don't remember deciding to touch her but I did. Maybe it's because she's almost childlike and not in the least bit scary. I'm not sure why I did it, but I don't think I regret it.


End file.
